The month of August saw a seven-year low in Israeli authorities’ approval rate of patient permit applications to leave Gaza for treatment.

The new low in approval rate for patients came despite the highest number of permit applications ever, according to the report by the World Health Organisation (WHO) published 11 October.

Of 2,394 patient permit applications to exit Gaza through the Israeli-controlled Erez crossing for hospital appointments in August, only 60.3 per cent were approved, the lowest approval rate since May 2009. Some 186 patients were denied permits, including five children and 16 elderly persons over 60 years.

According to the WHO, 24 patients were summoned for interrogations by the Israel Security Agency (ISA or Shin Bet) during August, while a father who took his ten-year-old daughter to hospital was detained at Erez and only released after six days.

Half of all permit applications for patient companions were delayed or denied, while out of 10 requests for humanitarian health workers to cross through Erez, only six were approved.

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